Institute of Cultural Excellence Kikkajuku (ICEK)

After graduating from university in Japan, he worked for the Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association. Seeking to broaden his horizons, he pursued graduate studies at Columbia University in the United States, focusing on comparative international education and history. I also studied in France, where he researched educational approaches that foster individual ability, before ultimately earning his master's degree from Columbia University.

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Later, at the invitation of a friend, he launched a local U.S. newspaper called *White Plains Watch*, though he stepped away from the venture after seven years. I then spent two decades teaching history and literature at Keio Academy of New York (High School Division), where I also served as Head of School, overseeing school administration. Encountering many students who had grown up abroad or moved overseas at a young age prompted me to consider how Japan could be transformed into a place where these young people could thrive in the future.

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Drawing on these experiences, I founded ICEK (Institute of Cultural Excellence Kikushita Juku). While acquiring knowledge at a desk is necessary, lessons learned through direct experience become deeply ingrained. Japanese education often lacks such experiential/external learning. By engaging in hands-on activities, listening to others' perspectives, and openly voicing questions, individuals can sense their own thinking evolve; gaining the ability to view society and culture objectively allows them to break free from conventional wisdom and build self-confidence. Driven by a desire to provide more opportunities for such experiences—and to help people naturally discover what they are truly passionate about—I established the Institute of Cultural Excellence Kikkajuku (ICEK). Since 2015, the institute has organized rural homestays in Bali, Indonesia, and since 2024, it has hosted experiential workshops across Japan that explore the country's traditions, spiritual culture, and regional revitalization efforts.

 

Today, countries around the world face the same social challenges as Japan—including population decline, an aging society with a low birth rate, and the exodus of people from rural areas. Understanding Japan's regional communities is key to understanding the future of both Japan and the world. I aim to help build a society where young people—whether Japanese or non-Japanese—who possess a deep understanding of Japan can live happy, positive, and fulfilling lives.